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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing

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CB in central N

04-05-2007 11:11:59




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Greetings.

I have posted about this subject before but I am still somewhat confused, so please bear with me.

I want to subdivide my pastures using temporary moveable eletric fencelines. The entire grazing area is enclosed with high-tensile woven wire that is NOT electrified. I do not want to electrify the entire area.

I have been looking at small D-battery, solar, or car-battery powered energizers which I can move from location to location. My biggest question is: how do you ground them? I know that for permanent installations you have to build a grounding system of 2 or 3 rods 10 feet apart, but what about these temp. lines? Do I have to build several "grounding stations" all over my pastures and clip the fencer to them every time I move it?

It seems that if these fencers are designed to be moved, the ground can"t be permanent in any one spot. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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Jim Johnson

04-05-2007 20:11:17




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
CB if you are tying it off on the end at the regular barbwire fence with steel posts just ty to the wire on it, works for me with a solar powered fencer doing just what you are doing. Jim



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paul

04-05-2007 18:15:18




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
Officially, the copper rods aren"t even right for the type of electric a charger puts out. It should be galvanized, of all things. It should be deep enough to hit moist ground, which is why that say 5 or 6 feet. And they like 3 rods for the "real" fencers.

Ok, so this is a small fencer, and want to move it.

I"d buy a better fencer & energize the main fence, just hook onto that. Will make the next 20 years a lot easier. But that isn"t what you wanted to hear. :) Could you run a smooth wire along one side, inside your fence posts, and make that live? Make it a permanent instalation, then hook the portable wire onto that? It"s just you are really making a lot of work for yourself without a live wire available to clip onto.....

In real dry conditions what they do is alternate hot & ground wires. That doesn"t work either, because you only have 1 temp wire.

What is your main fence constructed of? Wire contacting many metal fence posts? You could try hooking the ground clip - firmly! - to a metal fence post or wire on the main fence. Then all those (short, tho...) metal posts will spread out the grounding around the whole pasture area. This has a good chance of working. Unless you have dry sandy soils.

So, I suppose you have all wooden posts.....

You have an awkward situation there.

--->Paul

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Dan Hill

04-06-2007 01:45:17




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to paul, 04-05-2007 18:15:18  
Galvanized rods are cheaper.Electrons dont know the difference.Copper ground rod are copper clad.A thin layer of copper is rolled onto a steel rod.Ive used and repaired electric fencers for over 50 years now.I use 8 foot copper clad rods.The C type ground clamps that come with chargers are junk,dont use them.



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I love farmalls

04-05-2007 12:26:36




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
The only other thing i would suggest is if the ground does get dry pour a gallon of water on the ground rod. It will make a better ground.



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jdemaris

04-05-2007 12:25:55




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
My experience has differed from what Coloken posted. I'm in central New York - Otsego Co. The grounding, to a degree, is dependent on soil moisture and soil-mineral makeup. I can't comment much on any Colorado soil, can't even comment on other parts of New York. Soil minerals can vary just a mile away. I've got some fields here that need many grounds, and sone that usually don't need any except for the one where the charger is. In some of my pastures, I need several ground rods. If I don't, when dry weather comes in mid-summer (well, sometimes it does), the grounds get poor. In regard to portable fencing - I guess it depends what kind of animals also. I fence goats - and they are tougher to keep in than cows or horses (at least any I've had). I no longer depend just on a good ground-rod system. I Run a ground wire strand, parallel 8" from the hot wire
strand or strands. The amount all depends on how tall, or how high the animals can jump. The idea is - just have it where the animal is likely to contact it - at the same time as a hot wire. Again - with goats - it's not always so easy. They constantly develop new strategies for breaking-out.

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Coloken

04-05-2007 12:57:57




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to jdemaris, 04-05-2007 12:25:55  
JD, I can live with that..Kenny



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souNdguy

04-05-2007 11:56:53




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
I use temp electric fencing.. and all i do is drive a rod in the ground about 3' right at the charger.. then just pull it and move it when needed. ( soalr charger used with 'tape/ribon' style fencing on plastic 'step-in' t-posts.

Soundguy



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Coloken

04-05-2007 11:32:59




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
CB, I have used electric fences for over 50 years. Even in a dry country. All you need is one ground rod at the installation. Just drive any rod in a foot or two and make a good contact with it. I have no idea where these other guys are coming from. I'v run 1 or 2 miles even in easter Colorado dry weather. Some times with dry, loose dirt their feet don't make good contact on the ground so the "other wire " grounded on the fence helps. For a portable unit, a car battery will run most of a summer on one charge. The solar power one are great, but do cost a bit. Don't make it so complicated...just go out and hook it up.

Kennyp..Coloken

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dan hill

04-05-2007 14:43:08




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to Coloken, 04-05-2007 11:32:59  
Me too on using electric fences.If you dont have a good ground the returning hi voltage will try to return to the power co ground thru a 1 amp fuse.you will have much trouble with blown fuses. I service fence chargers.Using old buggy axles and rebar for grounds wont do the job...I have 2 copper clad electric service rods on my fence.If you get a shock when touching the ground wire you have a poor ground.

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Brokenwrench

04-05-2007 11:32:05




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:11:59  
I don`t know how long of runs you`re making, but I`d just use a 3-4 ft piece of rebar drive it in and ground to that. Should work just fine. My horse pasture is grounded that way and you`ll get plenty of shock if you dare to test it.



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CB in central NY

04-05-2007 11:34:09




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to Brokenwrench, 04-05-2007 11:32:05  
The runs are a few hundred feet, just to cross the pasture.



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Rickstir

04-05-2007 12:15:00




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 Re: OT - Electric fencing in rotational grazing in reply to CB in central NY, 04-05-2007 11:34:09  
I appreciate you asking this, been wanting to for some time and just never go around to it.



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